


Sophomore Slump of Comeback of The Year?

by Whats_this



Category: Bandom, Fall Out Boy
Genre: (if I'm good at writing that is), Alternate Universe - High School, Childhood Friends, Friends to Lovers, Light Angst, M/M, Multi, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-27
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-07-18 07:10:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16113404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whats_this/pseuds/Whats_this
Summary: It all started out with Pete’s quarterly failure of the quarter term progress test accompanied by Patrick’s flying colours. Well rather it started with the subtle strategy of fulfilling a rather romantic joke and finding motivation. Honestly though, wasn’t supposed to lead to these feelings though.





	1. But I’m No Good At Math

**Author's Note:**

> Buckle up kiddos I'm writing because I need something to distract myself from the crippling loneliness of my existence by write a romantic fic without having been in a relationship and inspired by reading fantasy books but whatever. It's 1:25am when I'm writing this.  
> btw, imagine they look like 2004

“Hand in your paper on the way out please.” Mr Pond said with strained tone, clicking his pen closed and heading out of his desk to guard the doorway and retrieve papers. Ignoring that Pete and many other students were facing failing the first test that year.

“You sure I can’t keep it a little longer sir?” Pete joked across the room as everyone else hassled to get up already expect the few extra time students and those scribbling something quickly.

“Unless you want me to deduct 20%,” he emphasised by slowly nodding his head in a condescendingly explanatory way, “then I’d recommend you hand it in now Mr Wentz.”

Mr Pond was one of the more favourable teachers. Pete didn’t take his mannerisms into all too much consideration due to it. But he seemed a little at his wits end today all the same, perhaps it was because he’d been missing a third the class that just weren’t quite ready for the test and called in a sickie. He should have been used to that though. Pete pushed it all the same retaining a cheeky gaze that flashed between the teacher and his paper. Ignoring the matching look of exhaustion of his teacher’s face marked by the dark bags under his eyes and bleary-eyed gaze. What could a math teacher even be tired from?

 

Patrick of course being more of an abiding student spun around in his seat having collected his things into his backpack and holding out his hand to take the paper. The reassuring smile plastered onto his face even though his voice wavered with uncertainty. “I’ll take your paper up if you want.”

“Oh, thanks.” He didn’t hand it over though. If there was a chance, he’d take it.

“I think he’s capable of walking a few extra meters.” Mr Pond sighed.

“Sorry sir.” Patrick nodded shyly.

“Thanks anyways Trick. He-”

“Papers please.”

 

The blonde boy hurriedly supplied his paper with a courteous, _“Thank you”_ before scampering to his next class in a slightly uncoordinated manner. Pete almost wanted to laugh a little bit at that, had he not been worried about handing in his paper. Patrick wasn’t good at hiding his nerves about these things even if he did supply smiles and empty beliefs to those who needed it.

Honestly, Pete wouldn’t be surprised if his friend had a mini break down in the bathroom again and come back pretending that he had it together. But for Patrick, you sometimes just need to do that to feel alright with it. Although Pete would rather stick to the words his old man had always told him, “don’t break the law, just utilise any loopholes and if you really must break it then befriend the sergeant” with Mr Pond the sergeant and his friendship a plausible loophole.

 

As his shorter classmate left the room with a few other students Mr Pond had abandoned his doorway post and was practically snatched the papers off remaining students as he strode down the split desk arrangement. Pete knew he’d have to give in sometime. Indecorously dropping his pencil down, so it clattered on the table he let out a long sigh and held out the scribbled over paper. Making attempts to ignore the anxiety crawling under his skin as a million thoughts rushed in his head about the reactions and results.  

“You know sir you’re my favourite teacher.”

“Really? I’m happy to know that. Is that always the case or just because the test?”

“Ah, a little of both.”

 

Mr Pond didn’t just take the paper. He slunk into the desk beside him, though that still left a fair distance between them in the single desk layout. It felt like it was going to be another lecture like the ones he got way too often and yet hadn’t changed a thing and never really would. So, he kept his attention on packing things up for himself instead. Whatever a mathematics teacher that looked like he was never quite concentrating on things and seemed to be the nicest man ever sometimes but really prioritise taking the calls from his wife mid-class over educating them wasn’t going to change anything.

“Listen, Pete, if you’re having trouble I am always open for you to come in for tutoring lessons on early mornings or afternoons, but I can’t just give out pity marks. Now go to your class before I give you detention.”

Pete was more than glad for that. Not the lacking pity marks but leaving. So, he jolted out of his seat ignoring how his desk banged against his leg in his rush murmuring out ‘backtalk’. “If I fail sir, don’t tell me parents.”

 

Really if he did fail he already knew who he’d blame. Patrick. It was all Patrick’s idea for him to take the hardest math unit. Nagging over on the idea that, ‘Honours Mathematics’ is going to look good on an application or CV. Really he thinks a good mark on a bad subject is better than a bad mark on a good subject. He can’t even think what job that any sane student would want incorporated mathematics, least of all this maths. Even his friends in higher schools agreed.

He could never say no to Patrick though.

 

Kid had a heart of gold and he really did want to best. Naivest kid on the block at times but heart of gold all the same. Pete wondered how he made it in the real world, or how he would make it when he entered it. Somewhere in his mind the short strawberry blonde embodiment of everything he needed in a person was still eight years old.

He often resided in a certain subspace where he could make everyone smile. That it was his job to bring balloons to the party and that nothing could destroy his dreams. Even when the other kids pushed him into the mud he just laughed it off. Not that he was always like that just quite often. Although when Pete was eight years old he mostly cared about how much better his toys were to others because in his opinion he was keeping the in pristine condition for when his brother was old enough to play with it and not potentially break it apart seeing how much he had wanted to stick them in his mouth.

Those days were so far away now. He’s twice that age and he’s more into trying to figure out if he wants to get a tattoo on his arm instead of the ones he hides under his shirt where the teacher can’t see. Adults are already telling him that his fringe is too long. Apparently, he needs to cut it least he wants to walk into a tree. He doesn’t care though, he thinks it’s cool. Patrick said it was cool too and that if he had black hair too he’d try it. Though bless the childish innocence of worrying dying his hair might make all his hair fall out from black dye. That and the fact he wanted to get a six pack and ‘killer biceps like all you sports jocks’ or he’d just look like he was trying too hard.

 

Now even Patrick’s all into the future though. Come to think of it nothing had changed there. He was always saying he didn’t want to be in public schools with smelly classrooms and that he’d have a big career on Wallstreet.

 With all consideration to that, since Pete had known Patrick for a quite few years, he knew that he’d been pissed at him when he knew the results. Maybe he’d throw a mini tantrum over it. He knew that he was pissed at himself already. Not even the encouraging smiles Patrick ad flashed over his shoulder after he’d finished filling in the test a little after the twenty-minute mark would lift his feelings of doubt bearing down on his shoulders now. No matter how he chuckled when Mr Pond told Patrick off for communicating in test conditions lessened that burden.

Like all his other failings. It was all his fault.

He couldn’t keep concentration in his following Ancient History class. That’s how things cycled over he supposed. Never quite worrying about the right things at the right time. Worrying about maths in history. Worrying over inevitable questions from starry eyed Patrick instead of how he should have been more effective in study. Worrying made it all go faster or made it all slow down though.

 

This time, he could’ve blinked before he was sat outside next to the bushes and under the English Literature Classroom window scavenging his lunchbox for something good. It was where they usually sat when one of them didn’t feel like hanging with the rest of the squad. So he tried to focus on open his crisp packet whilst Patrick balanced the tray of canteen food on his lap sitting close enough beside him that he could practically hear his breathing.

 

“How’d you find the test?” Patrick hummed as he inspected inside of a rather sloppy look hamburger that seemed to have some sort of ultra-processed slimy cylinder instead of meat placed on top of an unnaturally acidic piece of lettuce.

“It was alright, I guess.” Pete shrugged.

Patrick nodded attentively, “I’m worried I finished too early.”

 

“You studied for it, you’ll be fine.”

“How do you know how much I studied?” He mumbled through a mouthful of his hamburger that he only seemed more dubious about but simultaneously he didn’t seem to care. You get used to it. He didn’t complain in any case.

“Because you took your books with you every day this year.” He couldn’t restrain from rolling his eyes, “You’re hands always got shiny pencil marks and you’re talking about it when you aren’t doing it.”

“It’s been ineffective study.”

“Was not.” He scoffed, though knowing Patrick he wasn’t 100% sure if he was telling the truth or underestimating himself. Actually, both might have been equally likely. “You knew your stuff. I probably failed.”

 

“Why’d you say that?”

 “To mentally prep myself so I don’t cry in class when I get it back. That’s the trick to this business you see. I’ll just let him he wonder if I ever studied seeing I mostly just stared at numbers and circled words over and over again. At least Mr Pond is a nice teacher.”

“Pete, you’ve been a smartarse your whole life, you did fine.”

“I wish I was fine. Only test so far too, it’s not like I’m overloaded.”

“Pete.” He said midway warning, midway sympathy to his insecurities.

“Patrick, I don’t think the plan is going to work.”

“Pete, you totally failed is that what you want to hear?” Patrick plucked the apricot cup from the corner of his tray and putting it inside his trademark second-hand backpack cycled through both a thrift shop and siblings The abrasive tone of voice and warning signs he’d pack and leave pointing to his frustration though he didn’t actually go to leave. “Because if it is then I’ll tell you that. But I don’t think that, and I don’t like lying, especially to you. Alright, I heard what you said. You found it difficult but that doesn’t mean you immediately failed. This isn’t the final mark either, it’s even between two so even if you got an F, you get an A and you’ll be alright anyway.”

 

“Yeah and that’s always harder. Full of stuff we’ve yet to learn that’s likely more difficult.”

“You’re such a pessimist.”

“Only about math.”

“You did fine.”

“Thanks for your vote of confidence Trick.”

 

Bringing up the plan was what ticked him off, it was Patrick’s plan for a long time and Pete’s as of last year’s promise. Pete didn’t mind the school, he could head to a different school if he wanted to anyway, like when high school came, and their friendship group had almost all secured to leave in high school. Well now all their other friends had left. Patrick hated the school more for it. To Pete he’d confess, he hated school more than he ever hated anything. He supposes it’s not that bad with funding’s having raised standards quite well. He’d perfected the art of hiding in the crowd and Pete never worried when he fell into the popular crowd.

Being said, didn’t mean that teachers weren’t biased, that there weren’t still kids being slammed into lockers and perfecting street fighting on bystanders, that the lunch meals were made of sloppy hamburgers, watery corn and disgusting fruit cups, that the school hadn’t sent kids to desperate measures, that no classroom had air conditioning until last year’s crappy instalments that made a load of noise so teachers didn’t want to run, that they had problems that were serious but turned a blind eye. That the standard was dismally low.

He wanted out. He wanted to scholarship into one of the best school in the state and Pete had promised that he’d try.

 

That how why he was getting on Patrick’s case and he knew that. Hopeless optimist to everyone else, heart of gold Patrick. He supposes it’s because right now he didn’t have anyone else to push it onto. It was just Pete and Patrick. Normally the brunette didn’t mind it too much, he remembers when it was his birthday and so many people turned up that Patrick choose to forgo it. He didn’t really mind, okay he minded a lot at times because though he didn’t partake in all activities of the group he easily fit into the popular group. But he didn’t want to go away, he adored Patrick’s company and he looked adorable when he was mad.

“I don’t mean to get you down.” He sighed when the pang of sympathy started to pull on him when Patrick scraped his fork through the sloppily served vegetable. “I just don’t want to talk about it right now that’s all. You understand that right, you aren’t going to get on my case like mom does. Besides, you’re going to see how I did when we get our results back.”

“Yeah. I get you. I’m sorry just fresh in my mind I guess. You know how it is.”

“Hey it’s cool. You coming to see my soccer game this week?”

“Have I ever missed it?” He softened. “Only if I was really mad at you or if you sucked.”

“Gosh then Patrick, good thing I’m the crème de le crème of the team eh?”

They both laughed at it and Pete’s totally over pronounced accent.

“Just tell me next time if you know that dickhead Nathan’s going to be there with his posy of delinquents. That guy has been on my back since I was like nine.”

“Hey of course I would.”

“Good because-”

 

“ _Petey-Pie_!” Shannon Alberson called his nickname in the sickly-sweet sort of tone that made it sound like she wanted to be some high school musical villain, that and the fact she did so loudly enough it could be heard miles away when she was stood from twenty yards away.

Pete didn’t miss the uncomfortable shift in Patrick, but he hollered back for her to approach nonetheless. Besides you don’t just ignore your own girlfriends that’s rude. Although, it was Shannon Alberson and it was evidently clear to everybody that she practically reeked with a trying-too-hard aura of glitter on everything and florescent colours around her. Almost all in red because, to directly quote, “Red is like the newest pink but without seeming so overly girly,” as if that meant anything or that she wouldn’t change it in the next two weeks. Who knows why everyone liked her anyway, maybe because she was good at every sport and got admirable grades and was popular and just a complete Mary Sue.

There wasn’t really anything bad about her, she was a nice enough girl who never really tried to be mean to anyone. Or not anyone important. She was just a little bit cliched and took pride in that fact. That she would always want people to know exactly what was happened in her life and exactly how she wanted it portrayed.

 

“I have been looking everywhere for you and it turns out you are hanging out near the bushes beside the school as if you were in with the wrong crowd and shooting up over here. There’s nobody out here anyway, how did you expect me to find you? Text me where you were going to be next time. Is it okay if Jessica and Lucia come sit with us? Actually, Petey, can we sit at the tables?”

“Sure thing babe.” He smiled sweetly standing and wrapping an arm around her small waist. Whilst she signalled to her friends. Her five silver brackets clanging together when she did.

Patrick got up too holding his tray close to him and scooting around behind them. Curtly announcing, “Pete, I’m going to go get ready for class.”

“It’s just Shannon and her friends.”

“I’ll catch you later.”

 

“I’m sorry but she’s my girlfriend.” He said pursing his lips and supply his best puppy eyes. Though they did have some respect of earnest guilt as Patrick already started leaving. “Your still my favourite person but boyfriend duties you know.”

“No, I get it. It’s not you, it’s fine, really.”

“Petey are you coming? Where’s your friend going?”

“It’s nothing, I’m coming.” He said guiding her off.

 

“Nice to know that Pete. Maybe I should try thinking your nothing to me too.” Patrick muttered reaching out of earshot, tossing the remaining food into the bin and went to go and occupy himself in other means than sitting uncomfortably with his friend enjoying himself more than he ever seemed to when it was just the two of them. “Would make my life easier.” 


	2. We're The New Face of Failure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You know when you get your marks back and they really suck but your friend did amazingly and now you just let them down because your in a joint plan. Although they are your best friend so you know we can always work around things and get out something good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Take note guys, not going to update this regularly just whenever so I updated today as I've only slept for four hours and this feels like a great idea. Maybe it's not but whatever. And you know this might be terrible but it's 2:30am again and I'm not tired so here we are again.

Neither Patrick nor Pete were extremely attentive when Mr Pond walked into the classroom balancing a load of papers in his arm. There was something about the fact that most of them were under the false allusion that they’d be doing nothing because a quarter of the class would be sitting the test they’d all laboured over the day prior. Some students sat prepared to be bombarded questioning about how difficult the paper could be. Others sat around look distinctly disgruntled that they were in the school at all or chatting with their friendship groups on their phones under the table. Students like Pete simply sprawled over their desk half dozing because post-test anxiety forbids rest during the night.

“You guys are a lucky class today.” Mr Pond proclaimed shuffling through the papers and speaking with a crisper tone than usual and taking a quick sip of his coffee and standing in the centre of the board with his stack at his chest. “Because I have marked all your papers already. Only a day after the test.

“All who were absent I’ve decided will only be marked off the second test after having discussed with some of your parents. I do know the some of you would just miss school to avoid a test. Saying that I’m disappointed in some of you, not going to lie there.” He eyed across the class but to nobody distinctly, except maybe he glared particularly hard at Malcom, but Malcom was an idiot.

“However, some did very well. Mr Stump,” All eyes turned to the strawberry blonde that had been scribbling on his desk in his usual seat at the far corner of the class where he hid beside Pete and behind everyone else. The attention made him immediately freeze and slink back in his seat already earning sceptic glares before the lanky teacher continued,

“I’d like to say that out of this class, one of the greatest improvements and scores was collected from Mr Stump at 98% with one mark off full marks. I am very impressed by that score, very impressed and you should be proud of yourself.

“Anyhow, class, I’ll hand out the answer sheet and you can spend this lesson writing out the corrections in your book. Those who got high marks when your done you can do private study or help some stragglers. Remember guys, there’s always room for improvement. I believe your all able to at least pass.”

 

The class was brought back to chattering, some students alarmed and some of them disinterested still more pleased with their private study session. Many of them eye their teacher raring to get their test or dreading it.

“Good job, dude. You aced that.” Pete said with an encouraging smile.

“Thanks.” He replied proudly.

Patrick got his paper back first and immediately Pete leaned over and drew a smiley face in the margin of the paper. Then they were forced to wait for Pete’s. Neither really have definite expectations for what it’ll be.

When Mr Pond finally came around and put the paper face down on the desk they glanced to each other first. But the way that Pete’s hand then reached quickly to grab the paper showed no hesitance. He just wanted to know what he got and if he were happy then relieve himself from the pit in his stomach.

Patrick didn’t really get to see the mark before Pete had gotten up and let his chair fall backwards, running out of the classroom without reason. Alerting the whole class when the door swung shut behind him. Mr Pond didn’t even look up though.

Pete was a good student. He listened in lessons, did his homework to an acceptable standard, he knew not to yell with terrible teachers and he didn’t normally storm off in the middle of a lesson. Patrick didn’t even know how to respond because he left his paper behind, clear to see the red pen marking, _D-, I expected more Pete :(_.

He knew he had to go and check on his friend. That he couldn’t remain in the stuffy math classroom where they never opened the windows because curtains were shut for optimum projector use. So, he quietly slunk out with a short word to the teacher about needing the bathroom.

 

It took him five minutes to find him. He’d gone to the bottom floor bathrooms. The ones that had piss on the tiles and people scribbled all over the mirror in markers about who was a bitch and whore or totally emo song lyrics. Place smelt terrible and the decorations of paper towels didn’t really help that.

Pete himself was in one of the stalls that didn’t have any doors and trying to collect himself by utilising the baggy red hoodie to wipe off the welled-up tear around his eyes, so he wouldn’t start again. Although most of what it achieved was in smudging some of the overly applied eye liner.

“Hey, you alright man?” Patrick asked tentatively.

“Yeah,” He said shakily, “fuck maths though.”

“We can work on it, I’ll help you if you want.”

“Patrick. You don’t get it. I can’t explain it, but you just don’t get it.”

“Uh… well we don’t have to worry about it this much. I’ll buy you a milkshake, that help?”

The brunette shook his head. Unsteadily breathing as he got up from the toilet and walked over towards the mirror. The mirror becoming a vessel, a way of indirectly looking at him through now bloodshot eyes, suppose the surprise of getting their marks back so early really wasn’t so simple.

“You fucking aced it. What was it, one mark wrong dude.” 

“Uh, it’s not like that.” Patrick never thought he’d feel so uncomfortable with getting top marks in his life. Yet right now he wished he’d failed the test just so that Pete wasn’t so distraught. Glancing over him, it was clear that he practically shaking with all the emotions pent up in him.

Patrick could relate to it in a way. Everyone said he was an overly anxious kid anyway and he broke down about a lot of things in the privacy of bathrooms and his own bedroom. Besides, Pete had always been a highly emotive person who never really shied away from his open displays and yet he snarked at Patrick to, “Just leave me alone. I don’t want someone to cheer me up right now.”

Naturally Patrick obeyed him and sat distracting in proceeding classes but wrote the corrections over Pete’s paper ignoring how many questions hadn’t been filled in and how he knew that both of them were well-aware he could have done better.

 

Patrick himself was granted his own panic when he wasn’t joined in first break. Although not the same type of panic. It was the way that he felt himself more alone than he usually did. He didn’t even know were Pete was and his search didn’t get him anywhere. All it got him was Nathan laughing at how he was such a loner and having someone throw a textbook at him as a way of asking if because he did well on the test he’d do their homework. Something he said yes to even though they weren’t in his class and he’d have to do work never assigned to him because he didn’t want to seem rude.

He didn’t really know if he was more worried about how Pete was coping or about how he was going to cope if Pete didn’t sit with him. His self-image told him too many things to count. Seeing as Pete didn’t want to be cheered up apparently maybe hanging out with someone who wear exclusively light blue collared shirts with a cap like he was eleven would seem a little irritating. A little to cheery. Excluding his habit of trying to fix other’s problems. Especially irritating when he’d obnoxiously gotten staggeringly better marks comparatively. 

His worries diminished though as at long break Pete had returned to their normal spot. Thankful that the milkshake he’d purchased using pickpocketed money wasn’t going to go to waste.

 

Pete flashed him a smile as he skidded over to sit beside him already tucking into his lunch. He’d fixed up his eye liner and was fiddling on his phone with texting somebody or another he tucked away once he saw his friend. Patrick sat down and plucked the chocolate milkshake off the tray handing it over wordlessly.

“You bought me a milkshake.” He stated.

“Your down man and I hate to see you down.”

“I’m not going to stop being your friend if you don’t you know.”

“Yeah,” He felt embarrassed to require it, but he was secretly thankful that he was supplied the assurance. “Thanks for the reassurance but I’m not the one who needs it now.”

“Patrick. It’s fine but you know I’m never going to make it to those stellar grades, even Shannon did better than I did.” He said revealing his whereabouts in his disappearance during first break. With thoughts though, it explained how he fixed his eye liner too. “You can do this all just fine but me, I’m never getting there. Why don’t you just ask your parents to move into the other local school, it’s not too expensive there if you look at the fees.”

 

Patrick flinched slightly. His gaze reorienting to down at his tray and he moved the mushy vegetable with his fork taking a moment to process and consider whether it would be appropriate to continue the argument before he retorted sharply.

“We don’t just need to get out of this school Pete, don't you understand? This could be both our shot out of the poverty pissy hole of a school, out of the grave of happiness our parents buried us in _and_ secure a further future. This school gets us straight up in universities from just graduating.”

“Yeah, I'm eager as heck but I failed half my classes last year and now this.”

“Yeah but you were like the head of our grade in elementary, top marks in everything, every time. Goals this year are bigger than getting into a class.”

“And that'll motivate me enough to raise my GPA over two points?” Scepticism dripped off his voice. Scepticism with a hint of forlorn yearning for being in elementary school and getting those top marks without studying. Being told he was an amazing student and having his friends all asking him how he was so smart. Not being the family disappointment basically.

 

“Alright,” He sighed and tried to alter his perspective to be a little more understanding and a little less emotionally driven, “if your problem is more in motivation than it is in the actual academics… and I suppose that makes sense… Sorry, it is a little harder for us to generate and you're - you're not an easy person to motivate honestly. No offence. I suppose we could aim for minor motivation points or something.”

 

“Like what?" He snorted.

“Something good per grade. With like training dogs, not saying that you’re a dog.”

“How about a puppy for every grade?” He smiled making a little barking noise.

“Uh isn’t that a little over budget?”

“Alrighty - we hold a party per good grade? You know to types with a whole lot of booze and getting half naked when the parents aren't around.”

“I don’t know if your being genuine or just trying to make me uncomfortable.”

Pete cycled through innumerable impossible suggestions. Most of them really just to make Patrick laugh which worked. Their laughter lightening what had otherwise been a terrible day thus far. It was amusing and fun, something that they were utterly blasphemous or nonsensical although some of them just made no sense as to why Patrick denied as they were more honest and viable options. Things like going out to a theme park or holding a party with just their closer friends like Frank, Mikey, Brendon, Joe and all.

 

"We kiss per good grade?" He said perhaps too loudly and enthusiastically.

"Pete, isn't that a little…"

"What, gay?"

"No, I mean yeah it's hella gay but that's not the problem. It's just… just, breaking boundaries. Plus, you've got a girlfriend."

"What you said motivation! Besides, she won't mind." He winked with the widest smirk across his face that Patrick questioned if he thought about this in his spare time.

"Are you serious?”

“Pretty sure I am.”

“Okay fine, if that’s as reasonable as we’re going to get here. We'll kiss each other every good grade we get." Patrick blushed just uttering the words. His face growing hot when he tried not to really picture it and ignore the way Pete gave him mocking heart eyes.

Pete leaned in closer putting his arm around his friend’s shoulders and ignoring the slightly tense nature as he whispered seductively into his ear. "Like how good for a grade."

"Oh well, an -A at least." Patrick said analytically to break the tone.

"Alright-"

"Best friend kisses though." He said putting up his finger firmly.

"Best friend kisses then, whatever ‘Trick. Can that still be on the lips?"

"Uh… sure." He agreed putting out his hand to shake towards keeping the pact. Firmly shaking on it they both cracked a different sort of smile. Pete’s whiskey eye lit up, excitement edged every aspect of his face in that unpredictable way he always flicked between emotions to full invest immediately, "But Pete, one other thing. No romances."

"Romance?” He leaned forward pushing back strands of jagged blonde strands of hair poking out under the white and blue cap, gently pushing them behind his ear. “I’ve never even heard of it."

 

They sat in somewhat silence for a few minutes before the bell rang for class. When the two best friends had to bid each other farewell as they headed to different subjects. The way that Pete had giggled and been hysterical like a seven-year-old when he wandered off and Patrick unsure if he did it just to see that smile and that way the sorrow of failure disappeared of his face or because he wanted to. The way it didn’t really matter anyway.

Patrick could see the fun in it. Pete could see a one-off daydream thought being reality. Their innocent motivation that was as childish as it sounded.

**Author's Note:**

> Comment, please, about what you think (pls I really like comments),  
> kudos if you like I guess I'm not forcing you just so I know if it's okay.


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